Class of 2018 Honored at Awards Ceremony

The Law School welcomed graduates and their families for the 2018 Student Awards and Recognition Ceremony, held at 2 p.m. on May 11 in Lockhart Hall. The event acknowledged outstanding student achievement among those in the Class of 2018, prior to the May 12 commencement.

The Law School Public Service Program

Among this year’s graduating class, 67 students completed the 50-hour challenge in the Public Service Program, and two dozen of those performed 100 or more hours of law-related volunteer service. Founded in 1999, the program, in collaboration with the Minnesota Justice Foundation, Minnesota law schools, the Minnesota State Bar Association, and more than 40 legal service providers, challenges law students to contribute at least 50 hours of law-related public service during their study years.

Additional Presented Student Awards and Honors

American Bankruptcy Institute 2018 Medal of Excellence: Theodore S. Heckel

American Bar Association-Bloomberg Bureau of National Affairs Awards for Excellence in:

  • Health Law: Caroline Elizabeth Bressman, Caitlin Loughry Opperman, Mary William
  • Intellectual Property: Michael Sikora, Peter Selness
  • Labor and Employment Law: Jacob Harksen

American Law Institute-Continuing Legal Education 2018 Scholarship & Leadership Award: Devin Thomas Driscoll, Cayla D. Ebert

Lee and Barbara Bearmon Award in Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility: Joseph T. Janochoski

University of Minnesota Human Rights Law Award: Mary Noel Beall, Mary Georgevich, Olivia Judd, Ashlynn Maureen Kendzior

Sidney J. Kaplan Legal Scholarship Fund: Claire Williams

Ralph M. McCareins Antitrust Prize: Chris Arnold

Mondale Hall Engagement Award: Brandon LaNier Blakely, Maria Brekke, Fangzhou “Amber” Chen, Alexis Dutt, Rachel Leitschuck, Gabrielle Olivieri Sliwka, Mary Somers Riverso, Franklin Isaac Rosenberg

National Association of Women Lawyers Award: Miranda Kay Slaght

Charles Nauen and Pati Jo Pofahl Environmental and Energy Law Student Award: Taylor Anne Mayhall

Other Awards and Honors (Presented on Another Date)

American Bar Association Journal of Labor and Employment Law:

  • Best 2L Article Award: Jacob Harksen
  • Best 2L Editor Award: Paul D. Hallgren Jr.
  • Best 3L Managing Editor Award: Luke Wolf

Burton Distinguished Legal Writing Award: Franklin R. Guenthner

Class of 2018 Awards:

  • Excellence in Public Service: Mary Georgevich
  • Most Outstanding Contribution: Vanessa Rose Colletti

Clinical Legal Education Association (CLEA) Outstanding Service Award: Kathryn Burkart

Harold Will Cox Award: Amy Hang

Federal Bar Association Foundation’s Judge Edward J. Devitt Award: Devin Thomas Driscoll

Dorothy O. Lareau Writing Awards:

  • Best 1L Legal Writing Brief: Taylor Gess, Jacob Harksen, Austin Joseph Spillane
  • Best Brief, Maynard Pirsig Honors Tournament: Nathan Rice

Law and Inequality: A Journal of Theory & Practice Outstanding Editor Award: Mary Noel Beall

Minnesota Intellectual Property Law Association (MIPLA) Award: Michael Sikora

Minnesota Journal of International Law Outstanding Editor Award: Myounghee (Denise) Choung

Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology: Outstanding Editor Award: Tyler Walter Hartney

Minnesota Justice Foundation (MJF) Outstanding Service Award—Law Volunteer: Nicole Faas

Minnesota Law Review Awards:

  • Stinson Leonard Street Law Review Award: Emily Atmore, Claire Williams
  • Volumes 35 & 36 Memorial Award for Excellence in Writing: Ellie Bastian, Anabel Cassady, Franklin R. Guenthner

Minnesota State Bar Association Excellence in Labor Law: Jacob Harksen

University of Minnesota President’s Student Leadership and Service Award: Alexis Dutt, James Blake Soper

Robina Public Interest Scholars: Mary Noel Beall, Alex Bollman, Anabel Cassady, Mary Georgevich, Franklin R. Guenthner, Amy Hang, Olivia Judd, Caitlin Loughry Operman, John Phillip Sandridge, Jessica Sharp, Mary William

Kent Wennerstrom Award: Alexander F. Berk

Fellowships

Cooper Fellowship: Chase Hamilton, Mary William

Human Rights Fellowships:

  • Mary Noel Beall
  • Myounghee (Denise) Colletti
  • Lauren Jewell Gallenstein
  • Mary Georgevich
  • Taylor Gess
  • MacKenzie Ailda Heinreichs
  • Olivia Judd
  • Ashlynn Maureen Kendzior
  • Anthony McGrath
  • Emma E. Mayer
  • Russell Payne
  • Lawrence Philibin
  • Nico Ratkowski
  • Timothy Davis Sanders
  • Miranda Kay Slaght

Jacob E. Pritzker Summer Fellowship: Trevor William Matthews

Robina Summer Public Interest Fellowships:

  • Vanessa Rose Collletti
  • Jesse Goldfarb
  • Sarah M. Inskeep
  • Amy Alexandra Johns
  • Shirin Johnson
  • Karrah Johnston
  • Rebecca J. Krystosek
  • Tasylor Anne Mayhall
  • Andrew Miles
  • Eric Ryu
  • Ryan P. Torpey

Saeks Fellowship—Minnesota Law Public Interest Residency Program:

  • Nicole Faas
  • Theodore S. Heckel
  • Kathryn Marquis Hirsch
  • Sarah M. Inskeep
  • Mohammed Aman Khalid
  • Trevor William Matthews
  • Kelsey Mize
  • Mary William

Justice John Paul Stevens Fellowship: Kathryn Burkart, Luke Wolf